OH THOSE RATES!

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 5, Issue 23, 2 March 1942, Page 5

OH THOSE RATES!

PAY THEM IN MARCH

LAN DOWN EllS' DOUBTFUL

PRIVILEGE

After February coincs March. Of course, February is the month for all and sundry to inarch to the Post Office and pay their taxes. March is no less a month lor "coughing up." It is the month sacred to paying rates. Those who read and inwardly digest the Beacon advertisements, will have noticed that Whakatane County rates must be paid by March 21; also that drainage rates for the Rangitaiki Plains Drainage Area (which is nearly half the County) are to be paid by March 15. So quick march, all you landowners of broad acres! Some to the Post Office to pay the Lands Department its title for draining (more or less) the fertile Rangitaiki Plains (a mere 80 odd thousand acres); and all of you to the County office to tender your cheques as a contribution towards the cost of roads that have been Avorn by the wheels of joyriders from the cities! Its Easy to Pay Rather a jolly business this paying rates! Oh rather! You see all you have to do is to wait till March. 24, then dash along to the County office with your rate demand, and your cheque, and get into the queue. Oncc there you can chat to other would-be payers of rates until your cheque is exchanged for a 2d stamp (cancelled). It costs nothing extra to complain about the high rates.

the extravagance of the County Council, or the need for derating.

Talking of drainage rates —they cause a bit of talking noAA r and again on the Rangitaiki Plains. The Lands Department Avhiclx attempted to drain the Plains (or SAvamp) is getting its oAA T n back by levying an annual toll on the landowners. Not a flat rate of so much per acre, but a classified rate, Avith A class land and B class land. lit is just like a to collect high rates off the loav boggy land, and loav rates otf tb<j high productive land. This causes a lot of talking Avhen ratepayers get their rate demands.

Kind-Hearted County Council

Faced with the task of paying both County and Drainage rates in March, the Plains farmer curses his luck, writes out his cheques, bumps up-his overdraft, and keeps on toiling away. Of course, County Kfctes are less unpopular than drainage rates. A sympathetic County Council composed of ratepayers allows the hard up landowner until March 24 to pay up his bit of rates. Everyone at the council table knows (from personal experience) that you cannot extract blood out of a stone.

nor money from a farmer except just after the 20th of the month.

Not so the hard-harded rate collectors of the Lands Department, who sit in their red>-taped Wellington -offices and knew nothing of dairy company payouts. So- they order Rangitaiki settlers to write out their checrues not later than March 15. Perhaps our new M.P. will go down to Wellington and put the Government wise to the need to give the 1 cocky until the 24th to ''cough up." Because if the Government "cleans out" the farmers pockets on the 15th. what hope have the Whakatane tradesmen got of getting a few stray pennies? So here's to March, the merry

month Avhen ratepayers stand up. pay up and are hard up.